The Center

The Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (BCSSS) is an Austrian independent research institute, internationally acknowledged as an ambassador for the systems science heritage and present state-of-the-art applied systems research.

The Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science focuses on the Foundations of Systems Science, exploring and explaining the nature of the world, and Systems Design, understanding and deploying change in this world.

The objective of the BCSSS is to inspire the development of systems science by fostering systems research and supporting systems thinking. Given the global challenges of today, systems science is needed more than ever.

In particular, it revisits the General Systems Theory (GST) as founded by Ludwig von Bertalanffy and others in order to reassess it in the light of today’s global challenges and to illuminate the course of development systems science has taken since.

We execute and support use-inspired basic research projectsfocusing on the foundations of systems science, systems design and complexity management towards systemic sustainable innovative solutions.

We support the next generation of systems researchers with scholarships and awards.

We administrate the archive of Ludwig von Bertalanffy and other collections which are of interest to the systems movement and open the heritage to the public.

We execute and support international scientific forums like the European Meetings on Cybernetics and Systems Research (EMCSR) to foster global networks between researchers and practitioners.

We disseminate systems knowledge by executing and supporting lectures and workshops.

We disseminate systems knowledge by publishingthe book series Systems in co-operation with systems engineers and theOpen Access Journal Systema: connecting matter, life, culture and technology.

The association by Austrian law is an active member of the International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR), the largest umbrella organization in the field of systems science.